Changeable means for different total tracks and its method

ABSTRACT

In one embodiment, at least one rotational reflection element is circulated such that one or more reflection surface sets is positioned along an optical path of a scanner. Circulation is provided by rotating a fixing element that is coupled to the rotational reflection element. The fixing element may comprise a power source and a fixing pin, whereinthe fixing pin is operable to fix a position of the rotational reflection element.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention include a changeable apparatus fordifferent total tracks and a corresponding method, a light-guide meansapplied to optical scanning apparatus and one or more rotationalreflection elements. Embodiments of the present invention may beconvenient for manufacturing, assembling and different total tracks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a prior art of an optical scanner offlat bed. A document window glass 12 is on a case 11 of optical scanner1 for loading a document (not shown in figure) to be scanned. A drivingdevice 13 drives an optical chassis 14 to linearly move along a guidingrod 15 in said case 11 for scanning said document to be scanned on saiddocument window glass 12.

Please refer to FIG. 2, which is a sectional view of A—A section of saidoptical chassis 14. Optical chassis 14 comprises a hollow case 14, alight source 142 positioned a suitable position on a side of said hollowcase 141, a light-guide means assembled by plural leaf springs 146 andplural reflection mirrors 143, a lens set 144 and a CCD 145. Said lightsource 142 emits a light to document on document window glass 12, thelight continuously goes into said hollow case 141 of optical chassis 14,and plural reflection mirrors 143 of said light-guide means reflect thecoming light to extend a length of the reflected light, another call isoptical length; finally said lens set 144 focuses and forms thereflected light in said CCD 145 and CCD 145 transfers the focused andformed light to electronic signals.

There are two tremendous shortcomings on the light-guide means of theprior optical chassis 14 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, one of them is a valuefor a total track for CCD 144 clearly focusing and forming an image isfixed (shown as a total value of Y1+Y2+Y3+Y4+Y5 in FIG. 2); another isany one of plural reflection mirrors is installed on a wrong position toeasily cause an incorrect reflection angle, thus scanning quality is lowand such mirror cannot be adjusted to correct the angle.

The current light-guide means in marketing generally has followinginconvenient conditions: the first, inaccuracy of wrong angles causeslow scanning quality; the second, remodeling different structures fordifferent solutions, optical chassis dimensions, scanning dimensions(ex. A3, A4, etc.) or other total tracks, and above conditions are notsuitable to the present economical and efficient society.

Embodiments of the present application improve upon the issues describedabove.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The first object is to offer a changeable apparatus for different totaltracks and a corresponding method. The apparatus comprises: pluralreflection elements and at least one rotational reflection element,wherein said rotational reflection element has different reflectionsurface sets to be rotated for different total tracks, such thatdifferent total tracks can be changed without altering dimensions of alight-guide means.

The second object is to offer a changeable means for different totaltracks and its method for fine tuning a light path. The means having atleast one rotational reflection element, said rotational reflectionelement having different reflection surface sets, wherein eachreflection surface set has a total track different than other reflectionsurface sets. The rotational reflection element can be fine tuned byadjusting an angle between a reflection surface set and its reflectionpath.

Preferably, the present invention offers a changeable means fordifferent total tracks and its method, comprising: plural reflectionelements, at least one reflection element which is a rotationalreflection element, which includes plural reflection surface sets, andeach reflection surface set having at least one reflection surfaceWherein the reflection element has a pivot axis for circulating andchanging reflection surface sets and a fixing apparatus, which connectsto the rotational reflection element for adjusting and fixing a positionof the rotational reflection element.

Preferably, the fixing apparatus of the rotational reflection elementcomprises: a power source and a transmission, an end of saidtransmission connects to the rotational reflection element and anotherend of the transmission connects to said power source, thus the fixingapparatus transfers power from the power source to the rotationalreflection element.

Preferably, no matter how many reflection surface sets of the rotationalreflection element, directions and positions of reflection surfaces ofan ejective light and an incident light are totally same.

The appended drawings will provide further illustration of the presentinvention, together with description; serve to explain the principles ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a prior art of an optical scanner of flat bed.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of A—A section of said optical chassis.

FIG. 3 is a preferred embodiment of the present invention installed onan optical chassis of an optical scanner.

FIG. 4A is a first preferred embodiment of a fixing apparatus of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4B is a second preferred embodiment of a fixing apparatus of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4C is a third preferred embodiment of a fixing apparatus of thepresent invention.

FIG. 5A is a first preferred embodiment of a reflection surface set withone reflection surface of a rotational reflection element of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5B is a first preferred embodiment of a reflection surface set withtwo reflection surfaces of a rotational reflection element of thepresent invention.

FIG. 5C is a first preferred embodiment of a reflection surface set withthree reflection surfaces of a rotational reflection element of thepresent invention.

FIG. 6A is a second preferred embodiment of a reflection surface setwith three reflection surfaces of a rotational reflection element of thepresent invention.

FIG. 6B is a second preferred embodiment of a reflection surface setwith three reflection surfaces of a rotational reflection element of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7A is an optical length scheme for the first embodiment ofrotational reflection element rotating to a reflection surface set withone reflection surface.

FIG. 7B is an optical length scheme for the first embodiment ofrotational reflection element rotating to a reflection surface set withtwo reflection surfaces.

FIG. 7C is an optical length scheme for the first embodiment ofrotational reflection element rotating to a reflection surface set withthree reflection surfaces.

FIG. 8 is a third embodiment of a rotational reflection element of thepresent invention.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart of a fine tuned optical length of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

A light-guide means 2 of the present invention comprises a plurality ofreflection elements, at least one of the reflection elements is arotational reflection element 20, which includes several reflectionsurface sets 200, 201 and 202 with different numbers of reflectionsurfaces 2001, 2011 and 2021 for different times of reflection. Therotational reflection element 20 is able to change reflection times andoptical lengths of said light-guide means 2 via said reflection surfacesets 200, 201 and 202 being individually rotated to a reflectionposition.

Following is several preferred embodiments for detail structures, motiontypes, functions and other features.

Referring to FIG. 3, a preferred embodiment of the present invention maybe installed on an optical chassis of an optical scanner. Wherein, alight-guide means 2, a lens set 3, a CCD 4, a light source 5 and anoptical chassis case 6 are assembled to become an optical chassis 6applied to an optical scanning device. The light-guide means 2 includesa plurality of reflection elements, and at least one of the reflectionelements is a rotational reflection element 20. A pivot axis 60 on theoptical chassis 6 is a rotating axis for the rotational reflectionelement 20 for circulating rotational reflection element 20 to any ofthree reflection surface sets 200, 201 and 202. Any other reflectionelements 21 has a reflection surface 210 and the reflection elements 21are a fixed type. The rotational reflection element 20 includes a fixingapparatus 22 for fixing and adjusting rotational positions of rotationalreflection element 20. Rotational reflection element 20 can then berotated to the reflection surface set 200, 201 or 202. Each of thereflection surface set cooperates with a corresponding reflectionsurface 210 of one of the fixed reflection elements 21 to offer directfunctions of predetermined direction and optical length. It is notnecessarily that designing a positioning apparatus or a clamping elementto fix rotational reflection element 20 on or in optical chassis 6.Thus, the preferred embodiment addresses shortcomings of prior art.

Please refer to FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C, which are the different preferredembodiments of a fixing apparatus. As shown in FIG. 4A, a fixingapparatus 22 comprises a rotational base 220 and a fixing pin 221;wherein the rotational base 220 is fixed on rotational reflectionelement 20, and a scale is on rotational base 220 for clearly showingrotational positions of rotational base 220 with rotational reflectionelement 20. Then, the fixing pin 221 (a screw for this embodiment) goesthrough rotational base 220 to fix rotational reflection element 20.

Referring to FIG. 4B, the fixing apparatus 22 comprises a power source222 and a transmission 223; wherein the power source 222 is a powersupply to transfer power to rotational reflection element 20 via thetransmission 223 assembled a small gear 2230 and a big gear 2231, and aPCB 224 controls power and time of power source 222 to further handlerotational positions of rotational reflection element 20.

As shown in FIG. 4C, the transmission 223 comprises a first drivingwheel 2232, a second driving wheel 2233 and a third driving belt 2234,and above connection belongs to a prior art, it may not describe hereany further.

Referring to FIG. 5A to FIG. 6B, which are different preferredembodiments of reflection surface sets of rotational reflection element20.

As shown in above figures, rotational reflection elements 20 and 23 aresingle elements, which material can be glass, crystal, quartz, acrylic,etc.; or metal, ceramic, non-transparent acrylic, wood, paper, etc.

As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, every reflection surface set 200, 201 or 202of rotational reflection element 20 is an axially extended reflectionsurface 2001, 2011 or 2021. The reflection surfaces 2001, 2011 and 2021are formed by three parts of rotational reflection element 20 which areradially and axially cut from an outside surface downward to some placein rotational reflection element 20, such that three predeterminedfillisters on rotational reflection element 20 are then generated.Continuously, coating a plating layer on each of the fillisters tobecome a reflection surface; wherein the three plating layers arenumbered 2002, 2012 and 2022, and the three reflection surfaces arenumbered 2001, 2011 and 2021. In the preferred embodiment, platinglayers 2002, 2012 and 2022 can be made of chromium, silver, etc., oralternatively a sticker with reflection material to stick on thereflection surface. If rotational reflection element 20 is made of goodreflection material, the reflection surfaces can be polished to reachreflection function. In the preferred embodiment, no matter what type orhow many reflection surfaces, an incident light path always merges withan ejective light path on a point, which means positions of an incidentlight and an ejective light are totally same.

Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, two reflection surface sets 230 and 231 ofa rotational reflection element 23 include a reflection surface 2301 andanother reflection surface 2311, respectively. The structure of therotational reflection element 23 is very similar to the embodiment inFIG. 5, thus no more detailed explanation is provided here.

Referring to FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C, which are the different preferredembodiments for rotational reflection element 20 of light-guide means 2,which may be circulated to different reflection surface sets 200, 201and 202. Practically, the embodiment is that different reflectionsurface sets determine different reflection times and total tracks.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the reflection surface set 200 starts working, andit cooperates with fixed reflection elements 21 to assemble light-guidemeans 2, such that total reflection times is three and total tracks areequal to “X1+X2+X3+X4”.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the reflection surface set 201 starts working, andit cooperates with fixed reflection elements 21 to assemble light-guidemeans 2, such that total reflection times is four and total tracks areequal to “X1+X2+X3+2×X5+X6+X4”.

As shown in FIG. 7C, the reflection surface set 202 starts working, andit cooperates with fixed reflection elements 21 to assemble light-guidemeans 2, such that total reflection times is five and total tracks areequal to “X1+X2+X3+4.times.X7+X4”.

Generally, any skilled person is familiar with that distances X1, X2, X3and X4 are not easily changed comparatively, which means X1, X2, X3 andX4 are equal to Y1, Y2, Y3 and Y4 separately when FIG. 2 comparing toFIG. 6. Further, total track in FIG. 2 is based on the distances Y2 andY3, therefore once Y2 and Y3 are extended, a total volume for opticalchassis or light-guide means is greatly raised. On the contrary, thepresent invention which rotational reflection element 20 circulates todifferent reflection surface sets 200, 201 or 202 to generate differentlengths of total tracks. On the other hand, rotational reflectionelement 20 cooperates with rotational reflection element 23 to varydifferent lengths of total tracks, which means having flexiblecooperation between different rotational reflection elements is a spiritof the present invention.

The method of changeable means of different total tracks includes:

(a) Preparing at least one rotational reflection element 20 or 23, whichhas reflection surface sets 200, 201, 203 or 230, 231 individually, andeach reflection surface set has at least one reflection surface; thosereflection surface sets are designed for different lengths of totaltracks;

(b) Based on a need of a total track to circulate a certain reflectionsurface set of a rotational reflection element to a position on areflection path.

As shown in FIG. 9, which is a flow chart of a fine tuned optical lengthof the present invention. When setting an optical chassis in alight-guide means, both installation and manufacturing of elements inthe optical chassis usually causes tolerances, thus a tune-up is neededwhen tolerances happen. In prior art, optical chassis needs to becalibrated by accurate instruments; in accordance with the presentinvention a tune-up method is as following:

(a) Preparing at least one rotational reflection element 7, which hasplural reflection surface sets, and each reflection surface set includesat least one reflection surface, the reflection surface sets are fordifferent lengths of total tracks.

(b) Calculating a predetermined length of total track 8 based ondimensions of light-guide means.

(c) Circulating rotational reflection element 7 to a reflection surfaceset 9, and the reflection surface set 9 is positioned on a reflectionpath for fitting a total track length.

(d) Step 10 is to detect whether a predetermined total track value is afit or not; when the predetermined total track value is fit, step 11,action stopped, is terminated. On the other hand, going to step 12,which is that tuning up a rotational reflection element for slightlyadjusting an angle between a reflection surface set and a reflectionpath. When said reflection surface set has one reflection surface and itcirculates a θ angle, said reflection path then moves a 2θ angle; thereflection surface set has n reflection surfaces and it circulates a θangle, the reflection path then moves a 2 ^(n) θ.sup.n.theta. angle.Therefore, total track length can be tuned up, and a focusing is notaffected when a tune-up angle is smaller than 5⁰. Continuously,repeating to execute step 10 until step 11 can be executed.

While the present invention has been shown and described with referenceto preferred embodiments thereof, and in terms of the illustrativedrawings, it should not be limited thereby, for instance, the rotationalreflection element is not limited by FIG. 5 series, FIG. 6 series andFIG. 9 and is not limited to three reflection surface sets.Comparatively, rotational reflection element may be designed as apentagon or other figures and the reflection surface sets of arotational reflection element may be more than three or a roundreflection surface. Further, the changeable means for different totaltracks is not limited to the optical chassis of optical scanningapparatus, but may be used with other similar apparatus as well, such ascopy machine, etc. Thirdly, each reflection surface does not onlyreflect one time, and it could be that several reflection paths go to asame reflection surface or a reflection surface cannot reflect lightunder some conditions. Thus, the present invention is infinitely used.However, various possible modification, omission, and alterations couldbe conceived of by one skilled in the art to the form and the content ofany particular embodiment, without departing from the scope and thespirit of the present invention.

The invention is disclosed and is intended to be limited only the scopeof the appended claims and its equivalent area.

1. An apparatus comprising: at least one rotational reflection elementcapable of rotatably moving and comprising one or more reflectionsurface sets, wherein said reflection surface set comprises at least onereflection surface, a fixing apparatus connected to said rotationalreflection element so as to adjust and fix a position of the at leastone rotational reflection element; and wherein said fixing apparatuscomprises: one rotational base fixed on said rotational reflectionelement such that said rotational reflection element is capable of beingcirculated by adjusting said rotational base; and a fixing pin capableof going through said rotational base to fix a position of saidrotational reflection element.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein saidrotational base comprises a scale for showing rotational positions ofsaid rotational base.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said fixingpin comprises a screw.
 4. A method comprising: determining a desiredeffective optical path length; and circulating a rotational reflectiveelement such that a certain reflection surface set is positioned alongan optical path, wherein said rotational reflective element comprises aplurality of reflection surface sets, and each reflection surface sethaving at least one reflection surface; wherein said reflection surfacesets are formed such that at least two of said reflection surface setshave different effective optical path lengths.
 5. The method of claim 4,wherein said rotational reflection element includes a fixing apparatuscapable of adjusting and fixing a rotational position of said rotationalreflection element.
 6. The method of claim 4, wherein said plurality ofreflection surface sets are such that a direction and position ofreflected light are substantially the same as a direction and positionof incident light.
 7. The method of claim 4, wherein said rotationalreflection element is a single element.
 8. The method of claim 4,wherein the reflection surface of the reflection surface set is formedby a reflection materials on a surface lying in a plane formed at apredetermined angle from a surface of said rotational reflectionelement.
 9. The method of claim 4, wherein the reflection surface setcomprises a plurality of reflective glass surfaces.
 10. A methodcomprising: calculating a predetermined optical path based on one ormore dimensions of a light-guide; circulating a rotational reflectionelement to a reflection surface set such that said reflection surfaceset is positioned on a reflection path of said light-guide, wherein saidrotational reflective element comprises a plurality of reflectionsurface sets, and each reflection surface set comprises at least onereflection surface; wherein said plurality of reflection surface setsare formed such that at least two of said reflection surface sets havedifferent effective optical path lengths.
 11. A method comprising:circulating at least one rotational reflection element such that one ofone or more reflection surface sets is positioned alone an optical pathof a scanner; wherein said circulating comprises rotating a fixingelement coupled to said rotational reflection element; and wherein saidfixing element comprises a power source and a fixing pin, wherein saidfixing pin is operable to fix a position of said rotational reflectionelement.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein said power source comprisesa motor.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein said fixing element furthercomprises a transmission.